Battlefield Evolution

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Copyright Information

written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. All signifi cant characters, names, places,items, art and text herein are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing.

Credits & Contents

Author

Matthew Sprange

Editor

Nick Robinson

Logo

Giles Meakin

Proofreading

Alexander Fennel

Interior Illustrations

Nathan Furman

Playtesting

Adam Gulwell, Will Baker, Greg Bierl, Robert Gunn, Robert Bierl

Special Thanks

National War College

Very Special Thanks

Thomasz Pieciukiewicz

Introduction

2 Building an Army

5 Units

6 The Game Turn

9 Move Actions

10 Shoot Actions

12 Charge Actions

18 Ready Actions

20 Reactions

21 Traits

23 Air Units

25 Structures

30 Advanced Rules

33 The British Army

37 United States Marine Corps

49 United States Army

61 The Russian Army

75 People’s Liberation Army

87 The Middle Eastern Alliance

95 The German Heer

104 Engagements

116 Scenarios

120 Campaigns 130

Blank Campaign Maps

137 Index 140

Credits and Contents

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INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Welcome to the war, Soldier!

Battlefi eld Evolution is a fast-paced and easy to learn miniatures game, with enough tactical depth to keep you hooked for years. You will command platoon and company-sized forces, and attempt to overwhelm your opponents with tactical skill and a dose of luck!

Miniatures Gaming

Miniatures gaming is a hobby in which players collect armies of model soldiers and vehicles, and then take part in games against like-minded opponents. Played on a table featuring terrain ranging from open fi elds to burnt out city streets, miniatures gaming allows you to act as a general, directing your forces in a cunning battle plan designed to bring you total victory!

You can think of it as chess but;

o With freeform movement – you are not restricted to squares.

o With random elements – troops pinned down by enemy fi re are likely to be in real trouble, but they might surprise you and start fi ghting back.

o With far prettier models!

Using the rules of a miniatures game – aided by a few models, some dice and a tape measure – you will be able to lead your armies across the battlefi eld, dodging a hail of incoming fi re, before unleashing your fi nest troops against your enemy.

The joy of miniatures games like this one is that they are fl exible (no two games will play out quite the same way), challenging (with all the different models you can use there a lot of different tactics possible) and visually appealing (nothing beats the clash of two forces over some nice model terrain). Miniatures gaming is a fascinating hobby that appeals to all ages and walks of life. If these are your fi rst steps into the hobby then you are doubly welcome – you have just found something that may well keep your interest for a long time.

Your local hobby store can be a great resource for

chance to fi nd opponents. Additionally, the Internet hosts a cornucopia of sites and forums about miniatures gaming.

Battlefield

Evolution: Modern

Combat

Though based on the armies and wars of the current world, Battlefi eld Evolution: Modern Combat is set in its own ‘alternate’ reality. You will see many weapons and units that are easily recognisable in the real world, but we have also added many ‘what-if?’ items, from weapons that were tried but never adopted, to future designs that have not yet seen warfare.

We do not advocate re-enacting real world wars and battles using this game, especially those that are still ongoing. Approach this game in the same way you might an action fi lm or Tom Clancy novel, but always remember real people are fi ghting and dying all over the world, even as you read this

Needed For Play

In addition to this rulebook, you will also need several other items to begin playing this game. While additional materials such as terrain pieces and counters for various conditions are also useful, they are optional and not required for basic games.

o Two or more players.

o A playing surface, such as a tabletop or unobstructed fl oor space.

o A selection of miniatures.

o A tape measure or ruler of a minimum 12 inches in length.

o Several six and ten-sided dice (at least two of each).

Rolling Dice

This game uses two kinds of dice – the ordinary, humble six-sided dice and the chunky, exotic ten-sided dice. You

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Introduction

rarely and you should not need more than a couple of

these. The size or variety does not matter – they will suffi ce as long as they are six-sided (numbered 1 through 6) and ten-sided (numbered 1 through 10).

You will sometimes be instructed to read the results of dice rolls in different ways. If you are simply told to roll a dice in the rules, roll it as normal and read the number or pips on the top. However, you will sometimes see references telling you to roll 4xD6, 6xD6, 2xD10+1 and so on. These are dice shorthand references.

A number before a ‘xD’ tells you how many dice you need to roll. The number after a ‘D’ tells you whether to roll D6s or D10s. For example, 4xD6 means ‘roll four six-sided dice’ (you can see why we shorten it to 4xD6). If there is a ‘+’ after the dice add the number to each dice rolled – so 4xD6+1 would tell you to roll four six-sided dice and add one to the resulting score on each.

Some rules may ask you to add dice rolls together, such as 2xD10+D6. In this case, you would roll two D10s, one at a time, adding a separate D6 roll to each (the D6 is rolled each time you roll a D10).

Where multiple dice of the same type are rolled and added together it will be noted as the number of dice only, without the ‘x’ symbol. For example, 2D6 (giving you a total of 2 to 12), 3D6 (3 to 18) or 2D10 (2 to 20). A numerical addition (such as the 2 in ‘3D10+2’) is added to the total value. Thus, if you were intended to roll four six-sided dice, add their total together and then add a fi xed value of 1, it would be written as 4D6+1.

Natural 1s

These rules assume that an unmodifi ed roll of ‘1’ on a D6 or D10 is automatically a failure. Even if subsequent bonuses raise the result to above 1, it is still a failed roll. This is referred to as rolling a ‘natural 1’. The natural 1 rule applies to all rolls in this game unless specifi cally mentioned otherwise.

Re-Rolls

Some special situations may call for you to re-roll a dice. This simply means you ignore the fi rst result rolled and roll the dice again. All modifi ers or conditions that affected the fi rst roll are also present and must be accounted for on the re-roll. You must always accept the result of the second roll, even if it was worse than the fi rst – re-rolls can be used to get you out of a tricky situation but they are never guaranteed! Also, you may only ever re-roll a specifi c dice result once, even if you have multiple opportunities to re-roll a dice result.

Turns

Players take turns to play Battlefi eld Evolution. Throughout these rules, a turn is used to describe the process a player goes through before his opponent takes his turn and repeats that process. A Game Turn is two of these ‘player’ turns.

Pre-Measuring

Distances

You may always ‘pre-measure’ distances in Battlefi eld Evolution, allowing you to check to see if an enemy is within range before making the decision to fi re, for example.

Preparing for Play

Once you have your army and an opponent, there are just a couple of things you need to do before battle can commence. You will need a fl at playing surface, such as a kitchen or dining room table – though many players invest in a dedicated gaming table, complete with modelled terrain.

Your playing surface should have plenty of terrain placed upon it. You can use piles of books or boxes to simulate buildings, walls and hills, though many players soon progress onto model houses, woods, factories, ruins and so on.

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Introduction

A basic tabletop terrain can A basic tabletop terrain can be made by covering a table be made by covering a table with a coloured sheet and using with a coloured sheet and using commercially available terrain commercially available terrain

A more adventurous table, made A more adventurous table, made from polystyrene with a selection from polystyrene with a selection

of modifi ed terrain pieces of modifi ed terrain pieces

This advanced battlefi eld has been This advanced battlefi eld has been almost completely scratch built, almost completely scratch built, showing what can be achieved with showing what can be achieved with even a modicum of modelling skill even a modicum of modelling skill

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BUILDING AN ARMY

Building an Army

Before you can

start fi ghting huge and involved battles, you will need to build an army. An army can be as small as a single squad or feature over a hundred soldiers, supported by vehicles, command units and aircraft. You can go on to fi eld a whole company of troops with additional support, limited only by the size of your wargaming table!

Every unit in the game is assigned a points value, as shown in the army lists on page 37 onwards. As you collect units, add their points values together, as this will show you just how large and powerful your army is.

When you come to play a game, the force you use may only be a fraction of your collected army. This is because the points system is used to ensure a fair match between yourself and your opponent. Two forces of the same points value should be roughly equal in power, meaning

it will be your skill and tactical ability that will be the deciding factor for victory.

We recommended your fi rst battles were played with forces of no more than 2,000 points each. This will give you a game that will last up to two hours.

Ultimately, there is no limit to the size of armies that can be played, and you will fi nd that even games involving thousands of points can still be completed within a fairly short period of time, so long as both players are familiar with the rules. The only real restraint is the size of your gaming table, and your ability to place all your models on it. However, even games involving armies of 6,000 or 8,000 points can still be realistically played on an average 6 ft. by 4 ft. gaming table, though larger forces may require you to use a wider table or even the fl oor!

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UNITS

Units

Models are grouped

into units, which act together on the battlefi eld. A unit may be several models, such as a squad of soldiers or a single larger or important model, such as an armoured vehicle.

A unit is defi ned by its entry in the army lists, as shown below.

Title: The name of the unit.

Points Cost: The total points value of the unit. These are added together to obtain the points value of your whole army.

Type: The name of individual models in a unit.

Value: The individual points value of each model in the unit.

Size: The Size score of each model in the unit. This is

Move: How far each model in the unit can normally move across the table in inches with a single Move action. Movement is explained on page 10.

Close Combat: How many dice each model in the unit rolls when it charges an enemy model in close combat. Close combat is explained on page 18.

Target: The number an enemy has to roll equal to or greater than on a single dice when making an attack

Jaeger Command Squad – 145 points

Leading such units as the Gebirgsjaeger and Fallschirmjaeger, the command squad is the heart of the platoon.

Type Size Move Close Combat Target Save Kill Traits

Soldier 1 4” D6 4+ 5+ 6+ —

Radio Operator 1 4” D6 4+ 5+ 6+ —

Lieutenant 1 4” D6 4+ 5+ 6+ —

Fire Team 1: Lieutenant (unit leader) with G36 and MP7, Radio Operator with G36, 3 Soldiers with G36, Soldier with G36 and HK-69A1.

Fire Team 2: Soldier (unit leader) with G36, Soldier with MG3.

Fire Team 3: Soldier (unit leader) with G36, Soldier with G36 and Panzerfaust 3. Fire Teams: The designated Soldiers may act as unit leaders to Fire Teams 2 and 3, splitting off to act as separate units.

Field Promotions: So long as the chain of command is intact, the German Heer can prove to be remarkably resilient, pushing forward when other forces would give up and cower. So long as the Radio Operator is within 2”, the Lieutenant may take a Ready action to promote any one model in an out of command unit to become its unit leader. Only one model may be promoted in this way at any one time for every Lieutenant on the table. The Lieutenant need not come from the same platoon as the out of command unit.

Options: The squad may be mounted on board a Marder for +155 points or a Puma for +130 points. The Lieutenant may add an AG36 to his G36 for +5 points each.

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Front

Side

Units

Save: The number that must be rolled if a model in the

unit is hit by an enemy attack. If a second score is present here, this will mean the model can make a Dodge save (see page 17 for details).

Kill: If this number is rolled when an enemy makes an attack, the model is immediately removed, whether it has armour or not – the attack was just too powerful! Traits: Traits allow models to do special things, such as fl y, deliver powerful attacks or withstand a great deal of damage. Traits are explained on page 23.

Unit: Which models are included in the unit as standard, before any options are taken, along with the weapons they carry.

Unit Options: Any options the unit can take are listed here, along with any relevant changes in its Value. Special Rules: Many units have special rules not covered by Traits that allow them to do things in the game that other units cannot even attempt. Special rules also allow you to do things not normally permitted in the rules!

Unit Leaders

Every unit in the game has a unit leader, as listed in its army list entry. If a unit consists of only one model, then that model is assumed to be the unit leader.

All models in the unit must end every action within 6” of their unit leader. This is the unit leader’s Command Range.

If a model is ever more than 6” away from its unit leader, then it will be out of command. The entire unit will be out of command if it loses its unit leader and is reduced to less than half the models it started the battle with.

If a unit loses its unit leader but has not been reduced to less than half the models it started the battle with, designate any model to become a temporary unit leader. This model is not as experienced as the original unit leader, but knows enough to get the unit moving. All models must remain within 6” of the temporary unit leader – any who do not will be out of command. If the temporary unit leader is killed, you may immediately nominate another model to take over, so long as the unit

Models that are out of command may only make reactions (see page 21).

A unit leader of one unit may not act as the unit leader of another, though some models may have special rules that do allow them to command other units.

If a model becomes separated from its unit by any means and is not within 6” of its unit leader, then it may only make reactions as stated above. As soon as the model’s unit leader completes an action within 6”, the model may rejoin the unit and be within command once more.

Facing

The majority of units on the battlefi eld of the future are fast-moving and agile. In most cases, you do not need to worry about which way a model is pointing when you move it, as it is assumed it can turn quickly enough to face any threat and target any enemy.

Some models (such as armoured vehicles) have special rules that require you to know where it is facing. Some weapons, for example, may only be permitted to fi re into one facing, or the unit may have weaker armour to the sides and rear that enemies can take advantage of.

The diagram below shows a unit and its Front, Side and Rear facings.

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Units

Two Middle Eastern Alliance squads Two Middle Eastern Alliance squads

advance advance

A Chinese WZ551 with infantry A Chinese WZ551 with infantry

support support

British Challenger 2 Main Battle British Challenger 2 Main Battle

Tank Tank

A US Shadow in position in front of a key A US Shadow in position in front of a key

building. building.

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THE GAME TURN

The Game Turn

A battlefi eld is

a confusing place, with many things happening at once. In order to make sense of things, games take place over several turns. The player who set up his army fi rst will take the fi rst turn. In your turn, you will have a chance to move and fi ght with each unit you have on the table. Once you have fi nished, your opponent then has his turn to move and fi ght with his units. This continues until the battle is complete and a victor is declared!

Actions

Whenever you decide to do something with a unit in your army it will have two actions and every model within the same unit will perform the same action. There are four types of action.

Move: Allows the unit to walk, run, drive or otherwise travel across the battlefi eld.

Shoot: Allows the unit to begin gunning down the enemy!

Charge: Allows the unit to rush into close combat to tear the enemy apart!

Ready: Allows the unit to prepare itself to do something unusual, like load a complicated weapon or plant a bomb.

A unit can do any combination of two actions. For example, a squad about to be overrun by the enemy might choose two Shoot actions. Their allies trying to fl ank the enemy might choose two Move actions, while another squad near the frontline might choose a Move action followed by a Shoot action.

A unit must complete both of its actions before you can start making actions with another unit. A unit need not take one or both actions if you do not want it to – you are never forced to take an action.

Over the next few pages, we take a look at these different actions more closely. The important thing to remember is that each unit gets two actions of your choice in a turn. Once all your units have taken two actions, your turn is over and your opponent does the same thing.

Victory and Defeat

The game will continue until either one side gains victory by achieving its objectives or when a certain number of turns have been completed.

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MOVE ACTIONS

Move Actions

Every unit in

Battlefi eld Evolution has a Move score (found in its army list entry) which shows how far its models can travel across the table, in inches, with a single Move action. A model need not move in a straight line and can make any number of turns to face in any direction you wish.

A Move action does not have to be taken to its full possible length and a unit can travel any distance up to its maximum value. Models may move through any friendly units freely but may not move through an enemy model unless they have a greater Size score.

All models in a unit must end their movement within the 6” command range of their unit leader.

Terrain

Terrain in Battlefi eld Evolution is anything that is placed on the table that is not a model – this can be anything that is part of the landscape, such as buildings, woods, rivers and hills. You will quickly fi nd that the more terrain you use, the better the game, as your units will have a chance to leap behind walls and dodge behind buildings in an effort to avoid incoming fi re. If you just play on a fl at ‘desert’ you will soon discover your troops get mowed down by the fi rst weapon that gets fi red!

There are three different types of terrain;

Clear Terrain: Includes roads, low hills and shallow streams – anything that appears to be easy to move over. Clear terrain will not hinder movement at all, and so no reduction in the Move score occurs.

Diffi cult Terrain: Includes steep hills, woods, and marshes – anything that looks like it would be diffi cult for most units to cross. Units moving through diffi cult terrain will fi nd their progress hindered, counting every 1” moved as 2” (effectively halving your movement while on the terrain).

Impassable Terrain: Includes tall buildings, cliffs and quicksand. This will block all normal movement, and no model without special rules that ignore terrain may cross it.

Size

Every piece of terrain has a Size score, just as models do. This will be equal to the terrain’s height (or depth in the case of crevasses or liquid sources) in inches, rounding to the nearest whole number.

Models of greater Size than the terrain may completely ignore it, counting it as clear.

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Move Actions

Cover

Some terrain will provide cover for models that take advantage of it. This is discussed more thoroughly under Shoot actions on page 15.

Structures

While structures (the term used for buildings) are a type of terrain, they use their own rules as it is possible to move inside a building, travel between fl oors and turn them into temporary fortresses. They are covered later on page 30.

Special Movement Modes

Some models are able to use special movement rules to drive, fl y or use some other special means of getting around the battlefi eld. Each special type of movement is a kind of Trait and will be listed in the unit’s army list entry if it has it.

These special types of movement may only be used by units if they take a Ready action fi rst, which represents the model taking to the air, preparing to climb, revving engines and so forth. The unit may then take a Move action, and use the special movement, travelling a distance up to that specifi ed by its Trait.

When making a special type of movement, a model can also execute an attack as if it were using a Shoot or Charge action at any point in its movement if desired. Those that are jumping or hovering are assumed to be a number of inches above the table, or whatever terrain they are fl ying over, equal to their Size.

Note that while a model can use its special movement mode to get around, it does not have to – for example, tracked and wheeled models have a lower ‘safe speed’ to grind along at more or less walking pace and an agile climber can walk along on the ground. This is represented by using a normal Move action.

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SHOOT ACTIONS

Shoot Actions

Simple manoeuvring will

not win you a battle – you have to destroy the enemy as well, and automatic weaponry is always a good way of doing that!

Weapons

The descriptions of every weapon an army uses can be found in the appropriate army list. An example is given here;

Weapon Range Damage Traits

Assault rifl e 20” 2xD6 Auto

Weapon: The name of the weapon. Range: How far the weapon can shoot.

Damage: How many dice are rolled against a target. Traits: This lists any special Traits the weapon possesses. See page 23 for more details.

Special Ranged Weapons

Some weapons may not have a Range score. Instead, one or more delivery modes may be stated. The delivery modes are Dropped and Launched.

Dropped munitions are released by Air Units. See page 26 for more details.

Launched munitions can be fi red by a launcher system (the weapon’s description will specify which launch system must be used). A range in inches will also be given. If a model does not have the requisite launch system, it may not launch this munition, though it may use a different delivery mode.

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3 ”

Shoot Actions

Fire Zones & Line of Sight

Before you can shoot at an enemy, the models in your own unit must have a Line of Sight to their intended targets.

In all cases, Line of Sight is traced as a straight line from the centre of each of the fi ring models to any part of a potential target model. Firing models must also be able to trace a Line of Sight to the centre of what is called a Fire Zone, as detailed below.

A Fire Zone is simply a 3” radius circle. The centre point of a Fire Zone must be an enemy model.

When you roll dice for your unit’s shooting, you can only attack models completely or partially within this Fire Zone that are also within Line of Sight. All models in the unit must use the same Fire Zone – any models that cannot draw Line of Sight to the centre of the Fire Zone may not join in on the attack, whether or not they can draw Line of Sight to any individual models within the Fire Zone.

Line of sight has three possible categories.

Note that attacking models within the same unit will never block or obscure Line of Sight for each other – effectively, you can shoot ‘through’ models in the same unit, as it is assumed they will manoeuvre out of each other’s way. In addition, models within a Fire Zone will not block Line of Sight to other models within the same unit. This means one man in a squad cannot block or obscure Line of Sight to the other men in the squad – they are all potential targets when under fi re!

Models not in the same unit can block or obscure Line of Sight.

Blocked:

Blocked: Terrain interrupts Terrain interrupts

Obscured:

Obscured: Terrain interrupts Terrain interrupts

Clear:

Clear: No terrain (or terrain No terrain (or terrain

Clear

Obscured

Blocked

A 3” Fire Zone

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3 3 ””

Shoot Actions

Every model with a weapon can use it to attack any enemy that it can draw Line of Sight to and is within range. Range is always measured to the centre of the Fire Zone, not to each enemy model within the Fire Zone. Consequently, due to a Fire Zone’s 3” radius a model can effectively target an enemy 3” further than the maximum range of its weapon.

Unless it has special rules, each model can only use one weapon in a Shoot action, no matter how many weapons it possesses.

Every weapon has a set number of Damage Dice, which are rolled to see if a target has been hit and wounded or killed.

Elevated Models

It is quite common for some models within a Fire Zone to be on a different level of a building to others, or even just standing on some rocks or ruins! So long as a model is within 3” (6” for weapons with the Auto trait) of the level the model the Fire Zone is placed upon, it can be included within the Fire Zone.

Shooting

Roll Damage Dice for your entire unit. Discard all Damage Dice that roll a natural ‘1’. These represent missed shots or ammunition jams.

Fire Zone is selected and Fire Zone is selected and

Damage Dice rolled Damage Dice rolled

Damage Dice allocated to Damage Dice allocated to targets, misses discarded targets, misses discarded

Kills are removed, Kills are removed, Targeted models roll saves Targeted models roll saves

Failed saves are removed Failed saves are removed

The Bazooka-armed trooper is within the Fire

Zone despite being an elevated model

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Shoot Actions

within the Fire Zone, the next highest scoring Damage

Dice to the next nearest model, and so on. If all models within the Fire Zone have been allocated a Damage Dice, then you are free to allocate any remaining Damage Dice to models as you see fi t, placing multiple dice on specifi c models that you deem especially dangerous, if you so wish.

Note that friendly models within a Fire Zone are potential targets as well! However, a model may never be caught within a Fire Zone that it helped create itself (in other words, models cannot shoot themselves or members of their own unit!).

Also be aware that it is perfectly permissible for a Fire Zone to overlap more than one unit.

All models have two scores which you need to aim for when attacking them – a Target score and a Kill score. If you roll equal to or greater than the model’s Kill score, it is automatically removed from the battlefi eld. You have dealt it a grievous injury or even killed it outright!

If you merely roll equal to or more than a model’s Target score, then it will have a chance to use its Armour to protect itself. Your opponent must roll one six-sided dice and score equal to or greater than his model’s Armour score in order to survive. A roll of 1 for Armour is always a failure.

Cover

Most types of terrain will also provide Cover for models, effectively shielding them from shooting attacks. Different terrain will provide different amounts of cover – a thick reinforced wall, for example, will provide better protection than tall grass!

There are three different types of terrain that can provide Cover, as listed below.

Type of

Cover Example Terrain Bonus Provided

Light Tall grass, crops, marshland

+1 Kill score

A fence provides Light Cover

A wall provides Medium Cover

These rocks provide Hard Cover

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Chinese PF89 ATGW targets Chinese PF89 ATGW targets

tank, while rifl es target tank, while rifl es target

infantry infantry

Shoot Actions

A model has to be touching (on the opposite side of the terrain to the fi ring model) or actually completely within suitable terrain to take advantage of Cover. Otherwise, the terrain can only obscure or block Line of Sight.

For the purposes of Line of Sight only, a fi ring model may ‘see through’ any Cover within a number of inches equal to its Size score. It may also ‘see through’ any Cover within a number of inches to the target model that is equal to the target model’s Size score. Models, if within terrain, may always claim Cover rather than just have an obscured Line of Sight.

A model cannot benefi t from Cover if its Size score is greater than that of the terrain it is within or behind. However, it can still count as being Obscured.

Summary of Cover, Terrain &

Line of Sight

It is important to understand the relationship between Cover, terrain and Line of Sight.

o Terrain can block or obscure Line of Sight. o In some circumstances, terrain can instead provide

Cover.

o Being able to trace a clear Line of Sight does not necessarily mean a model is deprived of Cover. o A model cannot be Obscured and gain Cover at the

same time.

Note that if some models shooting into a Fire Zone can draw a clear Line of Sight to an enemy model or deprive him of Cover, while other models on the same attacking unit cannot, you should roll your Damage Dice separately for them.

Splitting Fire Zones

A unit can opt to split fi re by declaring extra Fire Zones if you wish. In effect, this is the act of spreading an attacking unit’s fi re wider to catch more targets or shooting in different directions. The downside to this tactic is that the unit’s fi repower is weakened by being spread in this way.

Any two Damage Dice of your choice must be discarded for each extra Fire Zone created and the remaining Damage Dice must be divided between the two or more Fire Zones before any of them are rolled.

Each individual weapon may only allocate dice to a single Fire Zone. You can only split the fi ring of a unit, not a single weapon!

Damage Bonuses

Some weapons have a damage bonus because they are extremely accurate, have a high rate of fi re or possess exceptional penetration. If a damage bonus applies, you may need to roll different coloured dice for that weapon when fi ring. Each damage roll adds the damage bonus before comparing its value to the Target and Kill characteristics of the attacked model.

For example, a 3xD6+1 damage weapon adds one to the score on each of the three dice rolled for it.

Some attacks receive a random damage bonus by rolling an extra dice (this being the differently coloured dice). Remember that this is not a Damage Dice so does not count as an extra hit on its own, nor is it ignored if it rolls a 1; the bonus dice is purely there to boost the weapon’s Damage Dice scores. Only one such bonus dice is ever rolled during an attack, regardless of how many Damage Dice the weapon rolls.

Shooting at Large Models

If models of different Sizes are present within a Fire Zone, you may always opt to allocate the fi rst (highest scoring) Damage Dice against the model with the Largest Size. After that, Damage Dice are allocated normally, regardless of differing Sizes.

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Shoot Actions

Fire Arcs

Some models, usually large and ungainly units, have limited fi elds of fi re, and are unable to react quickly when enemies start crowding around them. Some weapons on such units will have a designated fi re arc detailed in parentheses in their army list description. Such weapons may only place Firze Zones within their fi re arc.

FaF: Forward FaL: Left FaR: Right FaA: Aft

make one save against each attack, and so must choose between using Armour or trying to Dodge.

Remote Weapons

A Remote weapon is Placed at the location of the model carrying it by using a Ready action; use a marker to show the weapon’s location once placed. It can then be triggered with any subsequent Ready action taken by any model in the unit that placed it. If the unit is destroyed the Remote weapon is lost as well. These two Ready actions can be separated by any number of other actions – this normally involves the placing model taking Move actions to get out of the Remote weapon’s Lethal Zone!

Artillery Weapons

Artillery fi re allows some weapons to attack targets that are hidden and not in Line of Sight, effectively raining fi re down from the sky. Mortars and some missiles are examples of weapons that can be fi red in this manner.

Note that a weapon with the Artillery trait may always be fi red normally, as detailed earlier in this chapter. These rules are only used when the player wishes to take advantage of the Artillery trait.

Impact Point and

Inaccuracy

Before using the Artillery trait, the unit fi ring the weapon must spend a Ready action in preparation of the attack. You may then select an Impact Point anywhere between half the weapon’s range and its maximum, which is where the shot will land – this need not be in Line of Sight as with normal shooting attacks.

The opposing player rolls one D10 and moves the Impact Point this many inches in any direction. That attacking player then rolls another D10 and moves the Impact Point this many inches directly back towards its original position.

This will likely mean the Impact Point moves a little. Artillery fi re is known for being a little inaccurate!

Destruction of Large Models

If a model of Size 3 or greater is destroyed, it should be left on the battlefi eld as wreckage, counting as terrain and possibly providing Cover or obscuring Line of Sight. You may fi nd it visually appealing to either turn the model upside down, cover it with cotton wool to represent smoke, or even create your own ‘destroyed vehicle’ terrain.

Dodge Saves

Some models will have two scores listed for their Armour – the second will be a Dodge save, allowing the model to nimbly jump out of harm’s way in the last instant.

A model’s Dodge save is never modifi ed and will always be a straight roll on a D6. An Armour save, for example,

Right

Left

Aft

Forward

An Apache An Apache gunship has a gunship has a limited forward limited forward fi re arc for its fi re arc for its

weapons. weapons.

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CHARGE ACTIONS

Charge Actions

If an enemy

is in cover, he can be very hard to defeat – sometimes, you might fi nd it useful to simply charge and root him out with close combat! While this can be exceedingly dangerous (you will present an easy target as you come rushing in), it is usually decisive, one way or the other.

When a Charge action is made, you may move your models up to their Move score towards an enemy unit. Note that your models must still end the Charge action within the 6” command range of their unit leader, and that terrain will slow or halt their progress as with normal Move actions.

If you succeed in getting within Lethal Range of any enemy models with one of yours, you immediately fi ght in close combat.

Lethal Range

Every model has a Lethal Range in which it can make close combat attacks. This is an area measured from the model’s centre to a distance equal to its Size score.

Fighting in Close Combat

Roll the Close Combat Dice for all the models in your unit that have at least one enemy model in their Lethal Zone.

As with shooting, if you beat your enemy’s Target score, you will force an Armour roll. If you beat its Kill score, you will destroy outright. Discard all Close Combat dice that roll a natural ‘1’.

The highest scoring Close Combat Dice (including any bonuses) will be allocated to any enemy model you choose within one of your own models’ Lethal Zones, the next highest scoring Close Combat Dice to another enemy model, and so on. Once all enemy models within your models’ Lethal Zones have been allocated a Close Combat Dice, then your opponent is free to allocate any remaining Close Combat Dice to models as they see fi t, placing multiple dice on specifi c models, if they so wish.

USMC infantry Charge into contact. Once all USMC models have moved USMC infantry Charge into contact. Once all USMC models have moved the USMC roll Close Combat dice for every model touching an MEA model the USMC roll Close Combat dice for every model touching an MEA model

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Charge Actions

Push Back

After close combat has been completed, move the model with the smallest Size score directly away until it is out of its opponent’s Lethal Zone. If both models have the same Size score, move the model that was attacked 2” directly away – other models should be moved out of the way if necessary.

This may cause a model to be pushed back off a high point, such as a cliff or tower. Measure the distance fallen, and then consult the table below. Models with the Climb, Jump or Hover Traits reduce the distance fallen by 3”. You may not make a Save of any kind against falling damage.

Distance Fallen Damage Taken

Up to 3” fall Roll 1xD6 damage die against the model.

Up to 6” fall Roll 1xD10 damage die against the model.

7”+ fall Roll 1xD10 for every 6” fallen. Add the model’s Size as a damage bonus.

Pushed Back Into Impassable

Terrain or off the Table

Being forced into a corner or out of a fi eld of engagement is another way to lose models. If a model is Pushed Back into impassable terrain or off the table altogether, it must

make an immediate Armour save. If it succeeds, it will be Pushed Back as far as it can go, and then stop. If it fails, it will be immediately removed as a casualty.

Ongoing Close Combat

Units are not ‘locked’ in combat in any way as the normal action rules are designed to recreate the fl uidity and deadliness of close quarters battle. If a unit wishes to continue a combat, it merely keeps taking Charge actions until it achieves victory, is defeated or chooses to disengage on its turn taking a Move (or Charge) action in a different direction.

However, you will fi nd that once enemy units are within 10” of one another, combat becomes very deadly. The Reaction rules later in this book mean that each time a unit completes an action, all the surviving enemy models nearby may take a Reaction. In practice, the two units will be quickly driven apart or annihilated by the interchange of actions and Reactions.

Cover

Where close combat is concerned, Cover does not grant bonuses to Target and Kill scores in the same way as it does for shooting. However, there are benefi ts from being concealed in cover when an enemy rushes forward to engage you. See the section on Reactions on page 22 for more details.

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READY ACTIONS

USMC infantry makes a Ready action to USMC infantry makes a Ready action to increase the Damage Dice of its M249 SAW increase the Damage Dice of its M249 SAW

Ready Actions

A unit performing a Ready action may neither move nor shoot. It stands stationary, performing the Ready action until taking a different action completes it.

You do not have to state what the Ready action is for when the unit makes it. The purpose of the Ready action need only become evident in the following action when you declare it.

A unit may have the ability to perform Ready actions for a variety of different tasks. However, each Ready action may only ever be used for one task, no more.

If a unit performs a Ready action after its fi rst action, the Ready ‘status’ may be carried over into the next turn (or during a Reaction) if desired.

A unit taking

a Ready action is preparing either themselves or an item of equipment for special use. Some heavy or complicated weapon systems, for example, require a Ready action before they can be fi red, while certain types of movement may require Ready actions before they can be used in the next Move action.

In effect, the Ready action is the ‘do something special’ action.

What a Ready action actually does will be covered by the special rule it is using, usually found in the unit’s or weapon’s Traits or special rules. Sometimes, a Ready action will be used to actually accomplish something, while others must be performed before using another action (such as when using a Ready weapon or a special movement type). However, there are some rules common to all Ready actions, no matter what they are used for.

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REACTIONS

Reactions

What makes Battlefi eld Evolution different from many other games is that units get to react to enemies who get too close. After all, if you saw several enemy soldiers charging towards you, you would not wait around to get beaten up, would you? Also, if you are playing a game, you will not want to hang around for twenty minutes or more while your opponent moves all his models – you want to play as well!

Reactions allow you to take an active part in your opponent’s turn, and they may just save a few of your own units from certain death.

Whenever an enemy unit completes an action within 10” of any model in one of your units, that unit may immediately make a free Shoot or Move action. This is called a Reaction. You may move in any direction but any shooting must be aimed at the unit that triggered the Reaction.

You may also react when you get shot at! Whenever an enemy unit completes a Shoot action against one of your units, that unit may make an immediate Move or Shoot action. If a Shoot action is taken, the Fire Zone must include models from the enemy unit that triggered the Reaction.

At the start of their turn At the start of their turn the USMC infantry are the USMC infantry are already approaching an already approaching an

MEA position MEA position

For their fi rst action the For their fi rst action the marines Move forwards marines Move forwards

towards the MEA towards the MEA

infantry infantry

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Reactions

A unit may only make one Reaction in every turn, no matter how many times an enemy moves close by or shoots it.

Finally, you can never react to a Reaction!

Ready and Alert Status

Units that took a Ready action as their last action in their player’s turn count as being Readied in the opposing player’s turn as well. This means they can potentially use special movement types or Ready weapons during a Reaction.

Reactions Within Cover

Units within Cover have a certain advantage when an enemy charges them. In a defended position, they have

the opportunity to fl ee before the enemy gets too close or gun the attackers down before reaching them,

If a unit is in Cover and is reacting to a Charge action, it may make the Reaction after the target models have moved but before any Close Combat dice are rolled.

Laying Low

A unit does not have to react if it does not want to. This will often happen to units within Reaction range of the enemy who do not wish to call undue attention to themselves or are waiting for the enemy to make a tactical mistake. In real terms the unit might be hiding out as best it can while it awaits reinforcements or retrieval, or locked in an eyeball to eyeball confrontation with an enemy…

The Marines are now The Marines are now within 10” of the MEA within 10” of the MEA infantry who may now infantry who may now choose to React in one choose to React in one of two ways - either by of two ways - either by

Shooting ... Shooting ...

...or Moving ...or Moving

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TRAITS

Traits

Both models and weapons can have traits that mark them as special. A trait is a special rule that can allow a unit to move in a special way, for example, or make a weapon more powerful.

This chapter lists all the traits used in Battlefi eld Evolution, and you should refer to it when coming across a trait in a weapon or unit description later in the book.

AA: This is an anti-aircraft weapon. Only weapons with this trait are capable of affecting Air Units moving at Loiter speed or faster; all others are too limited in their ability to target such quick enemies.

AA-Only: This weapon may only be used against Air Units that are fl ying. It may not be used against other units or Air Units that are grounded.

Accurate: Accurate weapons may re-roll any Damage Dice that fail to hit their targets. The Accurate trait is ignored if the weapon is fi red as Artillery.

Artillery: The weapon may be fi red as Artillery. See page 17 for more details.

Auto: An Auto weapon creates a 6” radius Fire Zone, rather than a 3” one.

Climb/X”: This is a special movement type (see page 11). The model uses the special movement distance indicated, counting any impassable and diffi cult terrain as clear. Models can climb over several actions if required; simply make a note of the height reached or place a dice beside the model as a reminder.

Flame: Flame weapons engulf their targets with a torrent of fi re. They ignore any Cover the target may be in and no Dodge save is possible against their effects.

Hits/X: Each time a model with multiple Hits fails its

Immobile: This model may never take a Move action. With a Ready action, it may turn in place to a new facing. If other models in the unit do not have the Immobile trait, they may freely move away from this model at any time, leaving it out of command.

Independent: Independent models have a great deal of fl exibility on the battlefi eld. Independent models are somewhat different as they can function as a one-model unit if they wish or join a friendly unit. They can make these choices as they go, so one could potentially join a unit and then leave it later to join another unit or revert to operating as a one-model unit again. Independent models can join a unit’s action if they are within its unit leader’s command range. They can also form a new unit from any out of command models within command range. The independent model becomes the new unit’s leader for the remainder of the game. Note that Independent models are limited to a maximum of two actions per turn as usual.

Killshot: There are weapons powerful enough to vaporise any target they hit, burning through armour as if it was not even there. Killshot weapons count any Damage Dice that equal or beat a model’s Target characteristic as a Kill instead.

Lethal Zone/X: This weapon has a large blast effect, affecting multiple models with each shot. As with other weapons, Damage Dice are allocated as normal. However, additional Damage Dice are also rolled against every model within the Lethal Zone distance indicated in the trait.

So, for example, a British L55 Gun (Lethal Zone/2”) will roll its D10+5 Damage Dice against a target within the Fire Zone as normal. However, you will also immediately roll additional Damage Dice against any other models within 2” of the fi rst target.

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Traits

model has the Multifi re/All trait, it may fi re all of its weapon systems in a single Shoot action.

Multihit: High penetration or massive fi repower allows this weapon to rip through larger models, such as armoured vehicles. Multihit weapons that equal or exceed the Target characteristic of a model score two Hits instead of one. Multihit weapons that equal or exceed the Kill characteristic of a model score four Hits instead of two.

One-Shot: A One-Shot weapon may only be used in one Shoot action during the entire battle. Once used, it is gone!

Parry/X: A model with the Parry trait or carrying a weapon with the Parry trait can force a single enemy model attacking it to re-roll one of its Close Combat dice during an enemy Charge action. A model may only Parry something up to twice its own Size (that is, a Size 1 model can Parry a Size 2 model but not a Size 6 model). Parry/2 or Parry/3 weapons allow the model to parry two or three Close Combat dice respectively against any opposing models attacking it.

Piercing/X: The model’s attacks are lethal and can carve through the heaviest armour with ease. The Armour save roll of models struck by the model’s Damage Dice is reduced by the Piercing value. For example an Armour save of 6+ will be impossible to make if struck by a Piercing/1 weapon. If the Trait is possessed by a model, it will affect only its Close Combat attacks. If it is possessed by a weapon, it will affect only the Damage Dice rolled for that weapon.

Prone: Some weapons, such as many man-portable machine guns, can be set up with a bipod or tripod, and so become far more effective in laying down suppressive fi re. If a Ready action is taken to go prone and set up a weapon with this trait, it immediately gains the FxF fi re arc. However, the number of Damage Dice the weapon has is doubled in all subsequent Shoot actions. These extra Damage Dice will remain until the model moves (the rest of its unit is free to take Move and Charge actions, without negating the model’s extra Damage Dice). Another Ready action can be taken later on to go prone and set up the weapon again.

Models of Size 2 may gain the benefi t of Prone weapons without taking a Ready action, so long as they do not take a Move or Charge action in the same turn as they shoot.

Ready: A Ready weapon can only be fi red by a unit whose preceding action was a Ready action (see page 20).

Retaliate: The Retaliate trait represents volatile ammunition, explosions, crashes, eruptions, death throes and other devastating effects accompanying the models’ demise. If a model has the Retaliate trait it and is removed form play due to an enemy rolling its Kill score or higher, then it will roll all of its Close Combat dice against every model (friend or foe) within its Lethal Range. When rolling Damage Dice for Retaliation, only the following traits are still applicable; Flame, Killshot, Multihit, and Piercing/X.

Slow: Some weapons take time to aim, recharge or require constant reloading. A Slow weapon may only fi re once every turn, and may not fi re during a Reaction.

Tracks/X”: This is a special movement type (see page 11). The model uses the special movement distance indicated and it can always move up to this distance, even if it moves from, over or into diffi cult terrain (but not impassable terrain).

Wheels/X”: This is a special movement type (see page 11). While using this special movement mode a wheeled model moves at much greater speed than normal but is in danger of skidding and losing control if damaged. If a wheeled vehicle is damaged during a game turn in which it has used its special movement, it will be moved D6” away from the source of damage.

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AIR UNITS

Air Units

The use of

air power can fundamentally change the balance between otherwise equal armies and he who holds superiority of the air will have a very real advantage over his enemy. Air Units are expensive in terms of points but, while unable to take ground and thus win battles by themselves, can swing the game in your favour if used properly.

Air combat forms a mini-game in its own right over the battlefi eld. If either player is using air power, the game gains an additional ‘Air Phase’ after both players have taken their turns, as shown below.

Game Turn Start

First Player’s turn

Second Player’s turn

> Air Phase <

Game Turn End

Both players act in the Air Phase, taking turns to move and fi ght with their Air Units. Each Air Unit gets two actions in the Air Phase, just like ground units do in their turn. Only Air Units may perform actions in the Air Phase, though other units may have the chance to React.

Entering the Battlefield

All Air Units use the Reserves rule (see page 34). As such, they will enter the battlefi eld in the second turn or later from off-table. An Air Unit that is moving onto the battlefi eld is placed at any edge of the board at the beginning of the Air Phase. This placement indicates its entry point and heading.

Who Goes First

If both players have Air Units on the tabletop in an Air Phase, the player who deployed his army fi rst will move one Air Unit of his choice fi rst. After the fi rst Air Unit has taken its two actions, the opposing player then takes two actions with one of his Air Units. Both players alternate units in this way until all Air Units have taken

Flight Speeds

Air Units do not have a Move score rated in inches like other models. Instead, the Move score details the fl ight speeds that the Air Unit is capable of.

You must decide what fl ight speed an Air Unit will use at the start of its fi rst action in the Air Phase. It may not alter its fl ight speed during the rest of its actions in that phase. An Air Unit may not use a fl ight speed that is not listed in its Move characteristic – it simply cannot fl y in a manner contrary to its design.

Players do not have to declare fl ight speed at the start of the Air Phase – that decision is made when an Air Unit takes its fi rst action.

The possible fl ight speeds are as follows.

V/STOL: V/STOL (Vertical/Short Take Off Landing) is only available to Air Units capable of staying aloft without horizontal movement.

Loiter: A highly manoeuvrable fl ight state where the Air Unit is being kept aloft primarily by its motive power source rather than its lift surfaces (wings).

Cruise: Medium speed fl ight, balanced against good manoeuvring ability. Most Air Units capable of long-distance fl ight use the Cruise fl ight speed for this purpose but faster aircraft can throttle back to this speed too.

Burn: Full power, throttle to the wall, roaring along with every ounce of power to push the Air Unit forward. Not very manoeuvrable but very, very fast.

Air Target Characteristic

An Air Unit has a Target score to represent its size and sturdiness like any other model. Fast moving targets are harder to hit, however, so an Air Unit always uses the highest of its own Target score and its fl ight speed’s

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Flight Speed

Min. Move per Move Action

Max. Move

per Move Action Max. Turn Angle Target Crash Distance

V/STOL 0” 10” 180 o ₅₊ _D6” Loiter 10” 20” 90 o ₆₊ _D10” Cruise 20” 40” 45 o ₇₊ _2D10” Burn 30” 60” 45 o ₈₊ _3D10”

Air Units

Air Actions

During the Air Phase, players alternate taking two actions with their Air Units, until all Air Units have taken two actions and the Air Phase fi nishes. An Air Unit must always take two actions, unlike other units which do not have this requirement.

All Air Units must take a Move (Fly) action as their fi rst action. What an Air Unit does for its second action is entirely up to you, chosen from the list below.

Unless otherwise stated, all Air Units will ignore all terrain for the purposes of movement. All weapons may only fi re into the forward facing, unless otherwise stated.

Charge (Flyby)

Only Air Units that have this listed in their special rules may choose this action. The Air Unit takes a Move (Fly) action as normal. However, if it makes contact with another Air Unit, both roll Close Combat dice. Results are calculated simultaneously. If the charging Air Unit is still airborne, it continues its Charge (Flyby) action, possibly contacting another enemy and causing further simultaneous Close Combat rolls.

Move (Land)

This action may not be performed if the Air Unit is using the Burn fl ight speed. The Air Unit moves directly forward any distance up to its minimum Move. If, at the end of this movement, there is any impassable terrain within the Air Unit’s Size score, it remains an Air Unit. If not, it lands and is now treated as a ground unit (see page 29).

Move (Fly)

The Air Unit moves forward any distance between its minimum and maximum Move according to its fl ight speed. At the end of this movement it may turn up to its Maximum Turn Angle.

Shoot (X)

Having deliberately slowed its movement to stabilise its attack run, the Air Unit unleashes its fi repower upon the enemy, whether this is through bombing, strafi ng or dogfi ghting. Note that all weapons fi red or deployed by an Air Unit must create Fire Zones in its forward facing, unless specifi cally stated otherwise in its army list entry.

o Shoot (Bomb): The army list entry of an Air Unit will determine how many ordnance munitions may be deployed in a single Shoot (Bomb) action. All ordnance dropped will hit an Impact Point nominated by you anywhere along the fl ight path the Air Unit moved along in the current turn. Once the Impact Point has been nominated, roll 1D10. Move the Impact Point this many inches towards your Air Unit. Then roll another 1D10 and move the Impact Point this many inches directly away from your Air Unit.

o Shoot (Dogfi ght): The Air Unit may fi re any and all weaponry other than ordnance at another Air Unit. The weapons’ usual Range scores are used for these attacks. All weapons must create a Fire Zone centred on one enemy Air Unit.

o Shoot (Strafe): The Air Unit may fi re any and all weaponry other than ordnance at any ground unit. The weapons’ usual Range scores are used for these attacks. All weapons must use the same Fire Zone.

Reactions

Air Units may never make Reactions.

Returning to the Battlefield

Air Units can pass completely over the battlefi eld during their Air Phases and, because of their speed, can fl y off a table edge. If an Air Unit leaves the table, it may try to turn about and head back to the battlefi eld.

Unfortunately events in the wider world can prevent this – it might run into anti-aircraft fi re or enemy aircraft, get

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Air Units

called on to help somewhere else or decide it is too badly

damaged to continue the mission. To represent these conditions an Air Unit that has left the table may roll a D6 at the beginning of each subsequent Air Phase. On a 4 or more, it will re-enter the battlefi eld. If the roll is failed, it can try again at the beginning of each subsequent Air Phase. When returning to the table, Air Units can come on from any table edge with any initial heading. You can choose to forgo this roll if you wish, in order to attempt to bring the Air Unit back in a later turn.

If several Air Units are entering or re-entering the battlefi eld in the same Air Phase, players alternate placing their models at the beginning of the phase, with the player who deployed his army fi rst placing the fi rst Air Unit.

Air/Ground Interaction

There are a number of key rules that govern the interaction of Air Units with those on the ground.

o Air Units can attack ground units with any weapons.

o Air Units that land during the Air Phase become ground units until such time as they take off again (see page 29).

o Ground units can only attack Air Units with AA weapons, unless the Air Unit is at V/STOL speed, in which case any Shoot action may be targeted against them,

o Ground units can react against Air Units that complete an action within 20” of them (rather than the usual 10”). However, they may only choose Shoot as a reaction.

o When determining Line of Sight to or from Air Units, assume they are 12” above the table.

o Air units ignore Fire Zones not specifi cally targeted at them (thus ignoring Fire Zones created on the ground).

o By the same token, units on the ground ignore Fire Zones created by an Air Unit attacking another Air Unit.

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Air Units

Destroyed Air Units

Unlike normal models, Air Units are not simply removed from play when they are destroyed – they crash to the ground, and woe betide anything that gets caught underneath. . .

When an Air Unit is destroyed, consult its most recent fl ight speed on the table on page 26, and roll the Crash Distance dice listed. The Air Unit must move directly forwards precisely this distance. Every model and structure then within the Air Unit’s Size score in inches will immediately suffer all of the Air Unit’s Close Combat dice. The destroyed Air Unit is then removed as a casualty if it is Size 2 or less, or left on the table if it is larger.

Air Units that have landed and are subsequently destroyed while on the ground do not crash and are simply left on the table if Size 3 or greater, or removed if smaller.

Air Transport

Some Air Units are capable of carrying other units for deployment onto the battlefi eld. This will be noted in their army list entries.

In order to do so, the Air Unit must carry them onto the table as Reserves, and land on the battlefi eld during the Air Phase. Units within an Air Unit that has landed must use a Move action to disembark but may take no other actions in that turn.

To enter an Air Unit capable of transport, a model must move on to it, using a Move action. The model may then be removed from the table, as it has boarded the aircraft. Models removed in this manner do not count as casualties; they are assumed to be within the Air Unit.

Any units that are within an Air Unit that is destroyed are instantly counted as casualties.

Surviving the AA fi re on its

next turn the Apache moves

in position to attack the

Challenger tank.

(30)

Air Units

Landed Units

Air Units are signifi cantly impaired when they have landed. Landed Air units count as ground units in all respects and no longer take actions in the Air Phase. The only actions they may perform are Move (Take Off) or Shoot (Strafe), though only weapons listed in their army list entry as being capable of shooting while on the ground may be used.

Air Units that have a special movement trait (such as Hover) become normal ground units when landed.

Move (Take Off): This action requires that the Air Unit’s previous action was Ready. Choose a fl ight speed it is capable of and check to see if any impassable terrain is

blocking the Air Unit within its minimum Move for that fl ight speed. If it is blocked, the Air Unit may be turned to face any direction. The Air Unit then moves precisely its minimum Movement directly forwards and is now considered a proper Air Unit. It does not perform any actions in the Air Phase at the end of this Game Turn, however.

It successfully engages the

tank, and takes out some of

the nearby British infantry,

who react. With a lucky hit the

Apache is brought down.

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STRUCTURES

Structures

Battles are often

dictated by key structures – forts, bridges, cities, factories, harbours and the like. Military forces use defensive emplacements to help secure rear areas against threats, while many commanders are forced to engage enemies within an urban environment, a great equaliser of armies where cunning and local knowledge can make up for an imbalance of technology.

A structure is any building placed on the battlefi eld and is a type of terrain. You should treat them as such when placing terrain on the table and, in fact, you can set up quite involved settlements on your table to create a very exciting battlefi eld.

All structures have the following scores.

Size: The Size score of a structure is equal to the number of inches (rounded up) measured on its longest side, from the lowest point on one corner, to the highest point on the opposite one.

Target and Kill: These scores work in the same way as for units with multiple Hits.

Hits: This is how many Hits a structure can withstand before being destroyed, and it works in the same way as the Hits traits for models. Multiply the structure’s Size score by 1.5 (rounding up) to see how many Hits it can withstand.

Moving Inside a Structure

A structure can only be entered and exited by openings already in it – doors, windows, ramps and so on. A model cannot fi t through an entryway that is smaller in inches (across its longest diagonal) than its Size score. Any number of models can use the same the entryway providing they can fi t through it and have suffi cient movement to do so. Models inside a structure are said to have Occupied it.

If a model is within a multi-level structure it may move up or down one level with a single Move action (with no horizontal movement).

Fighting From a Structure

Each window, door or other opening on a structure is considered to be a Firing Point. Each Firing Point allows one model inside to make a shooting attack against enemies outside the structure. Any model can use any Firing Point that is on the same level of the structure.

A model within a structure cannot have a Line of Sight drawn to it from the outside, nor may it be attacked by Artillery weapons, unless it uses a Firing Point to make an attack itself.

If a model inside a structure uses a Firing Point, it may have a Line of Sight drawn to it for the next full turn (use the Firing Point itself to work out Line of Sight), but will gain the effects of Cover (normally Medium Cover for light buildings, though military and heavy commercial style buildings will usually grant Heavy Cover).

Fighting Within a Structure

If a structure is Occupied by an enemy unit, a Charge action is needed to enter it. The defending models count as being in Cover (see page 15). After any Reactions have been resolved, one model on each side must fi ght in close combat for every Firing Point. Defending models may use a shooting attack (so long as their weapons do not have the Slow trait) instead of their Close Combat dice for this.

If the attacking models destroy more models in than they lose during this close combat, they move inside the structure (the rest of their unit may follow using subsequent actions). After this, immediately resolve the fi ght between as simultaneous Charge or Shoot actions by both units. All models may use either Close Combat dice or shooting weapons as they wish. The fi ghting is close and furious so no more actions take place until the combat is completely resolved – push back rules are not used. Keep rolling for close combat or shooting damage until one unit or the other has been wiped out.

As you can see, fi ghting in built-up areas is vicious and nasty!